Chromoclock



April 22, 1969 a. F. GRAVENSON CHROMOCLOCK Sheet Filed Aug. 15, 1967 ATTORNEY 4155122, 1 I G. F. GRAVENSON 3,439,492

- OHROMOCLOCK I Filed Aug. 15. 196'! Sheet of 4 FIG. 3

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April 22,1969 e. F. GRAVENSON 3,439,492

I cnaouo'cpocx Filed Aug. 15. 1967 Sheet 4 014 GUY FGRAVENSQN o m 7 {$21 /M ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,439,492 CHROMOCLOCK Guy F. Gravenson, New York, N.Y. (101 74th St., North Bergen, NJ. 07047) Filed Aug. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 660,656 Int. Cl. G04b 45/00 U.S. Cl. 58-1 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE By replacing the hour hand and the minute hand of a regular clock with transparent, segmented, muli-colored discs and light projection elements, a new kind of timeindicating device is obtained which indicates time by continuously varying color blends and color combinations which appear through illuminated openings in the face of the device.

Background of the invention This invention relates to a timepiece which provides a new and, unique method of indicating the time. More specifically, the invention relates to a chromatic time displaying device which continuously translates the time into constantly changing combinations and blends of colors.

Numerous attempts have been made to devise new ways, more decorative, eye-catching or eye-appealing ways, of indicating time. Such attempts have included clocks which have a plurality of electro-luminescent panels, selectively illuminated to indicate the time (see U.S. 3,276,200); clocks which are provided with means to project the face of the clock or the numeral time onto a surface (see U.S. 2,290,811 and U.S. 3,179,003); and clocks for casting a number of varying colors upon translucent dial faces (see U.S. 2,093,150).

However, the basic functional concept of a timepiece that tells time entirely in terms of a blend of colors, which vary continuously and in correspondence to the particular time, has not been put to practice.

Objects of the invention A principal object of this invention is to provide a timepiece designed to continuously translate time into cor responding blends of color.

It is another object of the invention to provide a chromatic method of displaying and determining time.

A further object is to provide a timepiece, the utility of which is not dependent upon any dials or numerals.

It is a more specific object of the invention to provide a timepiece with means for projecting onto a surface a blend of colors and/or color combinations corresponding to the particular time of day or night.

Another specific object is to provide a timepiece with multi-colored means for indicating a different color corresponding to each hour and to each five-minute interval of the hour.

Other objects and the broader scope of applicability of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description hereinafter.

Summary of the invention In accordance with the above objects, a timepiece is provided in which the hour and the minute hands of a clock are replaced by two transparent discs, each disc divided into several vari-colored segments. The discs are mounted centrally on, and for respective rotation with, the hour and the minute shafts of the clock. The discs are of such sizes and/or are so sectioned as to permit the showing, through openings in the face of the timepiece, the pure color of a particluar hour and the particular color of the particular five-minute interval of each 3,439,492 Patented Apr. 22, 1969 of the hour hand and to consecutive five-minute spans of the minute hand of a regular clock.

Brief description 0 the drawing The invention, together with further objects and advantages thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the timepiece with the color blend, of the hour color and the five-minute interval color, projected onto a wall.

FIGURE 2 is a face view of the timepiece according to a preferred embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of a hour disc of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as seen from the lamp side of the timepiece.

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of a minute disc of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as seen from the lamp side of the timepiece.

FIGURE 5 is a side sectional view of the preferred timepiece, taken along line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a partially sectioned front view of a timepiece according to a second embodiment of the invention.

FIGURE 7 is a schematic view showing the arrangement of parts of the timepiece in accordance with the second embodiment of the invention.

Referring now in more detail to the drawings, the reference numeral 2 in FIGURE 1 designates the timepiece having a casing 4 and a front plate 6. The timepiece is shown suspended on a wall 3 by such means as pin 8 so as to project a colored beam of light 10 onto an opposite reflective surface 12. FIGURE 2 shows the detailed features of the front plate 6 as it appears to the viewer. Except for transparent windows 14, 16 and 18, this plate is opaque, and may optionally be made of glass which has been sprayed with paint. The hour color is indicated through window 18, the five-minute interval color through window 14, and a blend of the two colors is projected from the timepiece through circular window To permit the viewer to perceive instantly the meaning of the colors seen through openings 14 and 18, a twelvesided, time-color guide or key, indicated by numerals 18 through 29, is also provided on front plate 6. Each side of the key corresponds to a one-hour span of the hour hand and a five-minute span of the minute hand of a regular clock. The top side 18, which also provides the hour-color indicating window, is, as noted earlier, transparent, while each of the other eleven sides, numbered 19 through 29, is of a different color than the remaining ten.

The chromatic aspect of the timepiece is derived from hour disc 22 and minute disc 42, shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, respectively. These discs are designed to be mounted, through central apertures 26 and 46, onto the hour and the minute spindles of a clock motor, respectively, thus replacing the usual hour hand and minute hand. They are made of any convenient, transparent material such as a sheet of cellulose acetate, polymethyl meth eleven different colored theatrical gels affixed thereto, the colors of the gels corresponding to those in segments 29 through 39 of disc 22.

When mounted on, and for rotation with, the hour spindle of a clock motor comprised within the timepiece, the hour disc is designed in such a manner that part of the segmented outer portion of the surface thereof will appear through windows 16 and 18 of front plate 6, shown in FIGURE 2, the segments 28 through 39 being of such size as to fill both windows. Similarly, portions of the outer twelve segments of smaller disc 42, mounted on, and for rotation with, the minute spindle of the clock motor comprised in the invention, are designed to appear through, and fill, windows 14 and 16 in the front plate 6 ofthe timepiece. By virtue of the reduced diameter of disc 42 and the fact that segment 24 of disc 22 is not shaded, no colors will appear from disc 42 in window 18, nor from disc 22 in window 14.

Reference will now be made to FIGURE which represents a partially cut-out sectional view of the timepiece( with all the components in proper place. As shown, the timepiece comprises a casing 4 which consists of an opaque, generally cylindrical body portion 9, an opaque circular back plate 11 fastened to body portion 9 by means of screws 94, and generally dish-shaped front plate 6 which, as noted earlier, is opaque except for three transparent windows therein. The front plate 6 and an enclosed opaque disc 75 are together fastened to the body portion 9 of the casing by means of screws 96 and card board buffer ring 95.

Mounted on the back of disc 75 is an electric clock motor and housing 70, with a time-resetting shaft 88 and knob 90 extending to the outside of casing 4 through an appropriate aperture in body portion 9. Concentric clock motor hour and minute shafts, 66 and 68 respectively, protrude through a hole in disc 75, and they are spaced a distance away from the surface of disc 75 by means of spacer 71.

Also mounted on the back of disc 75 is a lamp shade 80 which houses lamp socket 78 and lamp 72. A biconvex lens 64, mounted in an opening in disc 75 opposite lamp 72 on one side and opening 16 in front plate 6 on the opposite side, covers the central opening of lamp shade 80 as shown. Two additional openings, 74 and 76, are provided in disc 75 in registry with openings 18 and 14, respectively, of front plate 6. Numeral 82 signifies an appropriate number of holes in the lamp shade 80 to insure adequate ventilation.

Between front plate 6 and disc 75, hour disc 22 and minute disc 42 are centrally mounted in spaced relation to each other on hour shaft 66 and minute shaft 68, respectively, for rotation therewith.

The power supply lines of the lamp 72 and the clock motor 70 are joined together, as shown, so as to be energized through a single plug-in outlet 98. Optionally, a high-low switch 86 or a light dimmer, intercepting the lamp power supply line, may be mounted on the inside of back plate 11 to enable changing the intensity of the power input to the lamp by manipulating the switch arm 87 or, in the case of a light dimmer, by manipulating the dimmer knob.

As becomes apparent from the foregoing description, when the device is energized, the hour shaft 66 and the minute shaft 68 will drive the hour disc 22 and the minute disc 42 as they would otherwise drive a clock hour hand and a clock minute hand, respectively. The viewer, by a quick glance at the color bands in openings 18 and 14 can perceive the approximate time of day or night. To illustrate, when the time is exactly 12:00 the light in both openings will appear unshaded or neutral. With the passage of time, two separate shades will begin to appear through opening 14, namely, the outgoing colorless shade and the incoming five-minute interval shade of segment 49 (see FIGURE 4) which is the color of the side 19 in the front plate time-color key. By 12:05, the color appearing through opening 14 will be a solid band of the color of side 19 of the time-color key. As further changes in the color scheme of opening 14 take place, two separate color bands will begin to appear through opening 18, namely, the outgoing colorless band signifying twelve oclock and the incoming color band signifying one oclock. At the end of the hour, the color apearing through opening 18 will be a full band of the color of side 19 of the time-color key, and the minute disc 42 will have completed a full revolution so that the color appearing through opening 14 will again be neutral.

Obviously, no limit is set as to the various colors which may be used to shade the segments of discs 22 and 42. One scheme, for example, would use varying shades of the basic colors blue, red, and yellow.

The projected color blend from window 16 will vary with every combination of color bands appearing in windows 14 and 18, such as to provide the uniquely functional, as well as decorative, feature of a continuous correspondence of color to time throughout the twelve-hour cycle. While the decorative aspect of such a feature may be deemed to outweigh the practical aspect in view of the practically limitless number of color possibilities which render direct and accurate time determination impossible without utilizing some sort of a code, the face remains that the timepiece just described accomplishes, and puts into practice, the concept of fully and continuously equating color to time. The decorative aspect of the invention speaks for itself, and the possibilities which can be derived therefrom, for use in public as well as private places, are extensive. Further enhancement of this decorative aspect of the invention may be effected by mounting a variety of glass discs, frosted or having any number of designs, in the color blend projection window.

":ference now will be made to FIGURES 6 and 7 which illustrate a second embodiment of the invention. The basic difference between this and the other embodiment is one of facial design as seen in FIGURE 6, which represents a partially cut-out front view of said second embodiment. Here the time-color key occupies a smaller, lowered portion of the surface of front plate 135, the hour color window 136 is smaller in size than minute color window 140 and both 136 and 140 are reduced in size relative to the color-blend projection window 142 which is situated in a top portion of the front plate surface.

To accommodate this modification of design, the twelve radial segments of hour disc 112 are divided into inner and outer portions by a full-transparency-ring 146 which is in registry with the minute color window 140 and of essentially the same width as said window. This is so, in order that no color from the hour disc will appear in the minute color window 140; and in order that no color appears through hour color opening 136 from minute disc 114, the latter, which in this instance is approximately the same size as the hour disc, contains a full-transparency central section 144.

In accordance with this modification, FIGURE 7 illustrates the minor changes required in opaque disc and lamp shade 116 comprised within the modified timepiece. Lamp shade 116 is mounted as shown onto the back of disc 110, with its opening covered by biconvex lens 136 which is mounted in an appropriate opening in disc 110. To permit light to shine through openings 124 and 126 (provided as shown in disc 110), hour disc 112, minute disc 11-4, and out front plate windows 136 and 140, a wedge-shaped cut-out 122 is provided in the lower portion of lamp shade 116. Otherwise, the arrangement of the various component-s inside the time-piece is identical with that of the preferred embodiment.

Although the foregoing description is necessarily of detailed character, in order that the invention may be completely set forth, various rearrangements of parts and modifications of detail may be resorted to. It is contemplated, for example, to replace the various colors used in the even segments of the minute disc with varying shades of gray, beginning with a very light shade in segment 49 (see FIGURE 4) andending with a very dark shade of gray in segment 59. In this manner, the hour color, appearing through an opening in the timepiece or projected onto an opposite surface, will take on varying shades depending on the particular interval of minutes past the particular hour.

To divide the hour color and the five-minute interval color windows into vertical segments thereby providing a guide to the viewer ;as to the extent of time within the hour and within each five-minute interval is another exemplary modification which is contemplated within the scope of this invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or right is claimed are as follows:

1. A timepiece for telling time in terms of color, which comprises a source of different colors, each color corresponding to one of the twelve hours of the day or night; another source'of different colors, each color corresponding to one ofthe twelve five-minute intervals past each hour; means for linking said color sources to a timepiece to render different colors apparent in correspondence with the time of day or night; means for blending the hour color, corresponding to the particular hour of the day or night, with thefive-minute interval color; corresponding to the particular five-minute interval past each hour; and means for displaying the blended colors.

2. A timepiece asiclaimed in claim 1 wherein the said different colors corresponding to the said twelve fiveminute intervals past each hour comprise varying shades of grey, so that the blend of each hour color with the fiveminute interval colorv would be varying shades of the color of the particular hour depending on the time past each hour. 1

3. A timepiece for telling time in terms of color comprising means for blending an hour color, corresponding to the particular hour of theday or night, with a fiveminute interval color, corresponding to the particular five-minute interval past every hour, which timepiece comprises, in combination:

(a) a casing with one or more time-color windows in the surface thereof;

(b) an electric clock motor, with an hour shaft, and

a minute shaft, mounted within said casing;

=(c) driven by said hour shaft, a first-color means,

mounted within said casing, which color means is designed to indicate through one or more of said time-color windows, an hour color corresponding to the particular "hour of the day or night;

(d) driven by said minute shaft, a second color means, mounted within said casing, which second color means is designed to indicate, through one or more of said time-color windows, a five-minute interval color corresponding to the particular five-minute interval past each hour;

(e) a light source mounted within said casing for projecting light through said first and second color means and into said one or more time-color windows.

-4. A timepiece, as claimed in claim 3, wherein the said one or more time-color windows include -a window for indicating a blend of the said hour color and the said five-minute interval color.

5. A timepiece, as claimed in claim 4, including a lens, mounted between said light source and said timecolor window for projecting the said blend onto a light reflective surface.

(8. A timepiece, as claimed in claim 3, in which the said one or more time-color windows also include an hour color indicating window and a five-minute color indicating window.

1 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,771,237 7/1930 Van Recth 116-129 1,898,642 2/1933 Ogle 116-129 2,093,150 9/1937 Lemata 58-50 2,117,442 5/1938 McWceny 116-129 2,123,743 7/1938 Pratt 116-129 2,290,811 7/1942 Nassoit 58-50 2,641,160 6/1953 Mihalakis 8824 2,834,250 5/1958 Stefani 8824 2,875,668 3/1959 McKenzie 88-24 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner.

S. A. WAL, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. Cl. X.R. 

